Mercenary: A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict, who is not a national or a party to the conflict, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party" (Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of August 1949).[1][2] A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he gets monetary reward from his service.

As a result of the assumption that a mercenary is essentially motivated by money, the term "mercenary" usually carries negative connotations, though that can be a compliment in some contexts. There is a blur in the distinction between a "mercenary" and a "foreign volunteer", when the primary motive of a soldier in a foreign army is uncertain. For instance, the French Foreign Legion and the Gurkhas of the British and Indian armies are not mercenaries under the laws of war, since although they may meet many of the requirements of Article 47 of the 1949 Additional Protocol I, they are exempt under clauses 47(a)(c)(d)(e)&(f); some journalists describe them as mercenaries regardless.[3][4]

PMC: A private military company (PMC) provides staff and services of a military nature. The hiring of professional soldiers is a common practice in the history of armed conflict. Historically, these soldiers are commonly known as mercenaries. However, modern-day PMCs prefer to call their active staff security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and prefer to be known themselves as private military corporations, private military firms, private security providers or military service providers. They refer to their business generally as the private military industry, in order to avoid the negative stigma often associated with mercenaries.

The services and expertise cover those typically found in governmental military or police forces, but most often on a smaller scale. While PMCs often provide services to train or supplement official armed forces in service of governments, they can also be employed by private companies to provide bodyguards for key staff or protection of company premises, especially in hostile territories. However, contractors who use offensive force in a war zone could be considered unlawful combatants, thereby referring to the "concept" being implicitly mentioned in the Geneva Conventions and explicitly specified by the US Military Commissions Act.[1]

Private military companies carry out many different missions and jobs. These include things such as supplying bodyguards to the Afghan president Hamid Karzai and piloting reconnaissance airplanes and helicopters as a part of Plan Colombia.[2] [3] They are also licensed by the United States Department of State, they are contracting with foreign governments, training soldiers and reorganizing militaries in Nigeria, Bulgaria, Taiwan, and Equatorial Guinea [4]. The PMC industry is now worth over $100 billion a year.[5]

(both sources came from Wikipedia)

Last edited by Mikhail on Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:09 am; edited 3 times in total

Story:Mikhail hails (haha) from a nameless city in the Northern Ice Caps. He is an Ex-Izhevskan Military officer with qualified military experience. He was recently promoted as a Captain 1st degree in Tenik Incorporated's Pre-DarkSEED PMC Program. This Pre-DarkSEED program is an affiliate of the DarkSEED Army and is funded by Tenik Incorporated. While the DarkSEED can only be controlled at the whim of President of Tenik, this PMC unit is actually able to be bought by other countries who request the need of Military Trained professionals. All those who wish to serve in the DarkSEED Army, have to by a standard have two consecutive years of service in the Pre-DarkSEED PMC Program. This program undergoes basic DarkSEED training, and are given jobs that include up to:-Security & Protection (Presidential Security, etc)-Military Experience-and Moral Boost

Mikhail has no specific loyalty or distrust of Tenik-as long as it keeps his family of ten paid back at home.

Last edited by Mikhail on Tue Dec 07, 2010 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

Clothes: black full length sweater; Black kevlar combat vest with Tenik Inc's ensignia on the back and a holster for the Galiavan Glock; a blue combat jacket with rolled up sleeves at the elbows; khaki fatigues with black knee pads and thigh holster; Combat boots; fingerless gloves.

Physical Appearance: just above average in size, cold dark eyes that seem to stare off in contemplation, pale

Abilities: Military marksman, Sniper, Tracking experience, and has a pilot's licence for a helicopter and other aircraft.

Story:Nicholai hails from a nameless city in the Northern Ice Caps. He is an Ex-Izhevskan Military officer with qualified military experience. He is a Sargeant in Tenik Incorporated's Pre-DarkSEED PMC Program. This Pre-DarkSEED program is an affiliate of the DarkSEED Army and is funded by Tenik Incorporated. While the DarkSEED can only be controlled at the whim of President of Tenik, this PMC unit is actually able to be bought by other countries who request the need of Military Trained professionals. All those who wish to serve in the DarkSEED Army, have to by a standard have two consecutive years of service in the Pre-DarkSEED PMC Program. This program undergoes basic DarkSEED training, and are given jobs that include up to:-Security & Protection (Presidential Security, etc)-Military Experience-and Moral Boost

Nicholai holds distrust of Tenik-believing he is the main cause of mostly everything at fault in the Northern Ice Caps. He is idly waiting for his opportune moment to strike.